Hedley pulled from Junos, Corus stations
With Hedley scheduled to perform in two weeks on its Cageless Tour at the Peterborough Memorial Centre on March 2, the Canadian pop-rock group has been pulled from performing at the Junos and its songs have been temporarily dropped from some Canadian radio stations.
Corus Radio -- which owns Fresh 100.5 FM and The Wolf 101.5 FM in Peterborough -- has suspended all airplay of Hedley songs across its 39 music stations as the Canadian rockers face allegations of sexual misconduct.
A spokeswoman said the move is temporary and the company will “continue to closely monitor the situation.”
Several other organizations are also distancing themselves from Hedley in the wake of a flurry of claims from anonymous Twitter users who alleged inappropriate encounters with the band.
The pop-rockers — fronted by Jacob Hoggard and including Dave Rosin, Tommy Mac and Jay Benison — issued a statement calling the allegations “unsubstantiated.”
The Junos dropped the Vancouver group from the upcoming televised awards bash in what was called a joint decision with the band.
Edmonton-based radio station Hot 107 tweeted that it won’t play any Hedley music until further notice.
B.C.-based Kiss Radio also tweeted that it has dropped Hedley songs from its playlist.
The philanthropic organization WE, which has had a long relationship with the band, says it has “no plans to work with Hedley in the future.”
And Air Miles says it has cancelled a contest in which its collectors could have won a VIP experience at a Hedley concert. Air Miles says “winners will be offered a substitute prize.”
Hedley’s statement to fans
Here is the full text of the statement Hedley issued to fans on Wednesday:
“All of us in Hedley respect and applaud the #MeToo movement and the open and honest discussion it has inspired. We believe these conversations are particularly important within the music industry, which does not exactly have an enviable history of treating women with the respect they deserve. We appreciate the bravery of those who have come forward with their own stories, and we realize that all of us, as individuals and as a society, can and must do better when it comes to this issue.
“However, if we are to have a meaningful, open and honest discussion, we all have to accept and respect that there are at least two sides to every story. The recent allegations against us posted on social media are simply unsubstantiated and have not been validated. We would hope that people will bear-in-mind the context in which these unsupported accusations have been made before passing judgment on us as individuals or as a band.
“We realize the life of a touring band is an unconventional one. While we are all now either married or have entered into committed, long-term relationships, there was a time, in the past, when we engaged in a lifestyle that incorporated certain rock and roll clichés. However, there was always a line that we would never cross.
“We realize this conversation is as important to our fans as it is to us, and we never want to distract from these important discussions. To that end, as we move forward, we will be evaluating some of our next steps. Hedley’s music should only ever be a positive force, and our performances and personal appearances should continue to be inclusive and safe experiences that bring nothing but joy and happiness to our fans.”